Test Breath Ketones without a Ketonix (using a cheap breathalyzer)

ketonix
acetone
breath
(G. Andrew Duthie) #135

So, either something has changed with my meter, or my recent 2-day fast has kicked my ketosis into overdrive.

As I noted a day or so ago, I fasted for around 60 hours, and got my highest reading yet on the meter. Since then, it’s consistently been in the 0.07-0.08 range, even though I’ve been eating pretty regularly, though pretty much everything I’m eating is keto (the one thing that is a little on the high end carb-wise, is Greek yogurt). I was expecting this to at least reduce the ketone levels a bit, but doesn’t seem to be the case.

Has anyone using these meters seen shifts over time in what it’s registering that aren’t in line with what you’d expect? I’m not complaining, but given how cheap they are, I do have to wonder about accuracy.

(A ham loving ham! - VA6KD) #136

Mine consistently shows 0.05-0.07% and occasionally higher. Though even after I’ve fallen off the keto wagon for a meal or two, it still shows 0.02 or 0.03. I have a small air compressor that I loosely couple to the meter with my fingers and it registers 0.00 every time. I also ask my wife (not doing keto) for a sample too and she usually gets 0.02 or 0.01.

(Ben) #137

Mine usually shows 0.04 and has gone as high as 0.09.
I had a boys’ night out on Friday, which involved beer and curry, and the following morning it registered a not surprising 0.00. Back up to 0.02 by the end of the day and 0.04 on Sunday.
So I’d say that mine fairly reflects my state.

(Todd Allen) #138

Your experience with the meter seems to match mine pretty close. I think the meters are fairly accurate and the majority of inaccuracy is likely caused by variation in use. As long as I’m consistent in how I breath, the timing and volume, I get very consistent readings. My wife and I have passed it back and forth and each get consistent different readings.

Perhaps it is due to the lack of precision (not having an additional digit after the decimal point) but I also find it slow to respond to meals or skipping meals. It does eventually happen, but it often takes many hours. I’ve also found fasting to be very effective to boost the score. And on the day after a fast I can be pretty indulgent and the score is slow to drop.

I’ve read that when protein is consumed with ample fat the insulin response to the protein is reduced, but that when carbs are eaten with fat the insulin response is increased. I’m trying to see if I can detect and guesstimate the strength of that effect in myself although the sluggishness of response and my unwillingness to experiment on myself with 50 g boluses of glucose may prevent me from collecting meaningful data.

(G. Andrew Duthie) #139

Heh. Not willing to take one for the team, eh? :wink:

Still rocking and rolling. 0.08 again. Works for me.

GlucoRx HCT & Ketone Monitoring System
(KCKO, KCFO) #140

I use the GreenWon meter, while just doing IF, I get .03-.04, I did an 81 hr. fast and during that fast it moved up consistently until it hit 1.00 BAC. So fasting really effected my ketosis. It stayed around .07-.08 for almost a week afterwards. I had added berries and some low carb cheesecake muffins because they are so good together. Then it has dropped to the .03-.04 levels again, it stopped the berries and muffins, and it went to .04-.05 levels, that is where I am currently.

I’ll be repeating the fasting, doing the Zornfast this month, will be interesting to see if the same changes occur.

Keto not really working
(G. Andrew Duthie) #141

That seems consistent with what I’m seeing so far. Have drifted down to 0.07 from the consistent 0.08 I was seeing.

I’m also using a GreenWon meter.

(G. Andrew Duthie) #142

Back down to 0.04-0.05 range. Looks like that may be my “normal” when eating keto.

(Todd Allen) #143

The meter I’m using was less than $5 bought from ebay. It only has 2 digits past the decimal point. I looked on ebay again and found a couple other models that have 3 digits past the decimal point, one for $11 and the other for $20 and I bought both. The $20 one had cheaper sellers but they looked suspect with either photos showing a mix of two different models, the other being a cheaper 2 digit unit or listing the specs of a different cheaper unit.

I’m curious to find out how consistent my results will be with the 3 units and if the added digit of precision will indicate more accuracy and provide any better/faster feedback. Will post an update after using them.

(A ham loving ham! - VA6KD) #144

I got the feeling that the third decimal point is only there for looks. In the models I’ve looked at it only ever seems to show a 0 in that position.

(Todd Allen) #145

On one of the two models I looked at there was only a single stock photo of the display used in all the listings showng 0.030. But the specs of the unit’s range used the 3rd digit. The other unit had a pic showing the digit in use. Even if it is used though it might not be of much use. But I’m finding my cheap one useful and these might be better and the two of them together are less than another pack of ketone strips for my blood test meter…

#146

I’ve had this with my meter. I drink sodawater and swill it then retest. Often it works then. Don’t know why.

(What The Fast?!) #147

Got mine yesterday! Did a long bike ride after a BPC breakfast and tested afterward - it showed .06 for both my b/f and I.

Went out to dinner last night and feasted. This morning was 2.4 ketones on my Precision Xtra. I blew on the breathalyzer and it showed. 0.07. I tested 4 more times and got: 0.06, then 0.05, 0.05, 0.05.

I think it’s useful to identify IF you’re in ketosis, but not sure it’s accurate for direct correlation.

(KCKO, KCFO) #148

I am just off a 86.5 hr. fast, I broke the fast with eggs Benedict,without the English muffin and hashbrown.

I blew 1.1 my highest and I hit my goal weight plus another lb. down I love my GreenWon.

(KCKO, KCFO) #149

Been eating as normal today and still blowing 1.1, I’m pretty happy about that result.

(A ham loving ham! - VA6KD) #150

Breakfast today was three eggs, bacon, 1/3 stick of butter and a tablespoon of coconut oil. Then some BP coffee around mid afternoon. Plenty of water thoughout the day as I was doing a big yard and garden clean up. This is what I just blew on my meter (at around 10pm):

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(KetoCowboy) #151

Thanks for this thread. I’m interested in any alternative to the Ketonix, since mine went on the fritz after about 6 weeks of heavy use.

Here’s my Ketonix story for anyone who may be considering one:

My brother (a huge keto advocate) bought it for me when I first started eating keto because he was so excited to have someone else in the family giving keto a try. He bought one of the original Ketonix models years ago, and his still works fine.

Mine is a different story. I’m partly to blame because the directions indicate that it shouldn’t be left plugged into a computer for hours at a time . . .

BUT

since the thing takes so long (several minutes) to warm up each time it’s plugged in, I ended up leaving it plugged in throughout the workday for two weeks.

I guess that stressed the little guy out because it became very temperamental. Some days it would initialize properly; other days it would just blink disco colors for hours without ever becoming “ready.”

Then, after about the 6th week, it stopped working entirely.

I haven’t bothered to see if I can get a replacement because I’m in pretty much permanent ketosis these days. (I don’t eat carbs except the ones in vegetables; I only eat one meal a day; and my blood work shows a BHBA level of 3.06.)

But for anyone considering the purchase, my impression is that the units Ketonix produces aren’t as good as they used to be

YMMV.

(Todd Allen) #152

Does your 3rd digit after the decimal point always show 0? One of the two 3 digit meters I just ordered arrived but unfortunately it is able to discriminate between alcohol and acetone making it useless for keto.

(A ham loving ham! - VA6KD) #153

It’s never shown anything but zero.

(KCKO, KCFO) #154

Hi, you might want to get one of the cheaper breathe analyzers. I use GreenWon and a couple of others in the forum do too. I got mine for under $10. That was after getting a refund form Ketonix, the order was held up for over a month and I really wanted to find out if I was getting into ketosis or not, I didn’t find the ketostix to be very helpful after the first couple of months I was eating at 20 net g carb. I really can’t stand pricking myself, so I went with the breathe analyzer solution. Using that and doing some fasting has resulted in good weight loss for me.

I have been very happy with mine.

Hope you find a method that you like.